binding
nounManufacturing
A finishing on a seam or hem of a garment.
Entries starting with B
623 entries.
bingo
Just sufficient to return to base (or, alternatively, to divert to an alternative airfield). (also written Bingo or BINGO)
biobed
A pit of soil used in agriculture to capture pesticide residue and break it down.
biodynamic
adjectiveAgricultural equipment
Of, or relating to a form of organic agriculture with mystical and holistic elements, based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner.
biodynamics
Biodynamic agricultural practices similar to organic farming.
bioelectronic
adjectiveIndustrial electronics
Of or pertaining to bioelectronics.
bioelectronics
The proposed construction of electronic-like circuits from proteins or other biological macromolecules
biolith
A rock or other geological feature formed by living organisms.
biometamorphic
adjectiveRobotics
That has a biological form and is metamorphic
biotelemetry
The use of telemetry to monitor, measure and record physiological data of an organism
BIPV
adjectiveConstruction
Initialism of building-integrated photovoltaic.
birdie
An electromagnetic signal generated from within an electronic device.
birdsmouth
nounCarpentry
A notch cut into the underside of a rafter to ensure that it does not move when resting on the wall plate running across the top of a wall; a similar notch in other timber components.
biscuit
nounWoodworking
A thin oval wafer of wood or other material inserted into mating slots on pieces of material to be joined to provide gluing surface and strength in shear.
biscuit firing
The initial firing to which pottery is subjected, before it is glazed.
biscuitry
nounWoodworking
The process of inserting biscuits (thin ovals of wood or other material) into mating slots in order to provide a gluing surface.
bispheric
adjectiveOptics and imaging
Having a different radius of curvature at the centre and the edges
bisque
A form of unglazed earthenware; biscuit.
bit interval
The time required to send one signal bit.
bit stuffing
The insertion of non-information bits (binary digits) into a data stream.
bite
A blank on the edge or corner of a page, owing to a portion of the frisket, or something else, intervening between the type and paper.
bite point
nounAutomotive
The position on releasing a clutch pedal that the gear engages.
biting point
nounAutomotive
The point where the clutch engages when the pedal is released.
bitrate
The frequency at which bits (binary digits) pass a given physical or metaphorical point, measured in bps (bits per second).
bitter
A turn of a cable about the bitts.
bituminosulfonate
An anion found in ammonium bituminosulfonate (ichthammol), obtained by dry distillation of oil shale and subsequent sulfonation.
BIW
nounAutomotive
Abbreviation of body in white.
bizarre
A carnation having stripes of two distinct colours on the white petals.
blabbermouth
A kind of foam-dispensing nozzle used in firefighting at airports.
black
The blackened, burned-out area at the centre of a fire.
black box
A flight recorder; the brightly colored cockpit voice recorders and flight data recorders in an aircraft designed to aid in determining the cause of an accident.
black copper
nounMetallurgy
Copper with iron and sulfur impurities due to insufficient smelting.
black hole
A dangerous optical illusion that can occur on a nighttime approach with dark, featureless terrain between the aircraft and a brightly-lit runway, where the aircraft appears to the pilots to be higher up than it actually is, potentially triggering a premature or overly-steep descent and a crash short of the runway.
black noise
Technical silence; noise that has a frequency spectrum of predominantly zero power level over all frequencies except for a few narrow bands or spikes.
black sand
Sand high in magnetite and other iron-rich ferrous minerals, frequently found associated with placer mining.
black spot
A location with poor radio signal reception, e.g. for mobile phones.
black start
The process of restoring an electric power station or part of an electric grid to operation without relying on the external electric power transmission network.
black tin
Tin ore (cassiterite), when dressed, stamped and washed, ready for smelting. It is in the form of a black powder, like fine sand.
black-letter
adjectiveIndustrial printing
Written or printed in black letter.
blackleg
A fatal cattle disease caused by the soil-borne bacterium Clostridium chauvoei; symptomatic anthrax.
blackline
A line of deliberately burned material created to stop the advance of a larger fire.
blackwash
Public campaigns and advertising funded by the coal industry to draw attention away from environmentally unsustainable practices or to justify exclusion from carbon taxes.
blackwork
nounManufacturing
A form of counted-thread embroidery that is usually stitched on even-weave fabric with a twisted thread.
blade
The rudder, daggerboard, or centerboard of a vessel.
blank
A piece of material roughly cut, forged, cast, etc. to the size and shape of the thing to be made, and ready for the finishing operations; (coining) the disc of metal before stamping.
blanket insulation
nounConstruction
Glass fiber or other compressible fibrous insulation, generally in roll form.
blanket stitch
A strong stitch, similar to a buttonhole stitch, used to finish and reinforce the edges of blankets etc.
blanketing
nounRail equipment
The provision of a layer under the trackbed to prevent clay subsoil and water being forced to the surface by the weight of trains.
blankholder
nounMetallurgy
A plate that holds a metal blank in position in a hydraulic press.
blanking
nounMetalworking
A metalworking process to form the rough shape of a sheet-metal workpiece.
blast furnace
nounMetallurgy
An industrial furnace in which ore is smelted to metal, the process being intensified by a blast of hot air.
blastpipe
A pipe forming part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders up into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the firebox; this speeds up the release of smoke through the chimney.
bleed
A narrow edge around a page layout, to be printed but cut off afterwards (added to allow for slight misalignment, especially with pictures that should run to the edge of the finished sheet).
bleed hole
A small, purposeful opening found in objects (e.g. glass panes, metal plates, airplane windows, etc.) to equalise air pressure and prevent condensation and fogging.
bleeding
Printing past the edge of the leaf (past the trim).
bleeding edge
The situation produced when the image extends beyond the nominal margin.
blender
A subtly patterned fabric printed in different shades of a single color, often used in place of a solid to create visual texture.
blimp
An airship constructed with a nonrigid lifting agent container.
blind
adjectiveMetallurgy
Able to be fixed without access to one end.
blind folio
A page number that is counted but not printed on the page.